For Palm Sunday this year, we had two wonderful youth-led worship services journeying through Holy Week on Sunday morning (and Saturday’s service was cancelled due to snow) so there was no sermon for Palm Sunday.
Here’s my Maundy Thursday sermon from March 29, 2018. The sermon text for this night is one of my favorite Bible passages, Jesus washing the disciple’s feet in John 13:1-17, 31b-35.
There are two challenges for us in this story about Jesus washing the disciples’ feet.
First, there’s a lot of awkwardness in this story. For most of us here tonight, this is a familiar story, but if you don’t see the awkwardness, try talking about Jesus washing feet with someone who hasn’t grown up with this story.
I was around for some of the conversations the youth and children had as they were preparing to lead the Palm Sunday worship and do hand washing, and I assure you, they saw the awkwardness in this story.
For many of us, just the thought of having someone wash our feet is kind of strange. It’s not normal in our culture. Some people are kind of disgusted at the thought of touching other people’s feet, or having other people touch their feet.
That’s awkward for us, but that’s not why this is awkward for the disciples.
In Jesus’ context in Palestine, foot washing was not only normal, it was necessary. In a world where everyone is wearing sandals and walking on unpaved, dusty roads, feet get dirty. Common politeness says when people come to your house, you wash their feet.
Of course, even through it’s normal and necessary, it’s still not a pleasant job, so the lowest ranking person present gets stuck doing it. It’s a chore for children. If there’s a servant or a slave in the house, it’s their job.
This story is awkward for the disciples not because their feet are being washed, but because of who does it. Jesus is their leader, their rabbi, their teacher, their Lord. He’s the highest ranking one in the room, and making him wash their feet would be a huge insult to him.
Peter is not ok with it. I have to wonder if he’s feeling a little guilty for not taking the initiative to start the foot washing himself, or I can imagine him being a little annoyed at the younger disciples that none of them were willing to step up and just do it. It’s not exactly clear who should be washing feet, but definitely not Jesus.
This is awkward. Peter’s embarrassed, and although it sounds like he’s simply being modest (“Don’t worry about me, Lord. No need to wash my feet. I’m good.”), there’s a form of pride there. Peter thinks his feet don’t stink. He doesn’t need washing.
Until Jesus tells him bluntly, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” And then I think maybe Peter starts to figure out that there’s something greater going on here. This isn’t only about removing literal dirt from your feet. This is about forgiveness. It’s about humility, being willing to admit you need Jesus. Allowing Jesus to serve you, to wash you. If Peter can’t accept Jesus doing this simple little courteous thing for him, how will he be able to accept what’s coming? How will he be able to accept the much greater act of forgiveness Jesus offers in his death on the cross, the ultimate humiliation and defeat?
In this awkward moment, Jesus teaches Peter that he’s not in control; he’s not all good. He needs the grace Jesus offers as much as all of us do.
We began tonight’s service with confession and individual absolution. It takes humility to publicly admit that we need forgiveness, even in the general terms of our corporate confession. It takes humility to see what Jesus does for us in these next three days.
Like Peter, we’re called not just to notice that Jesus is forgiving and serving, but to take it personally, to accept that the love and forgiveness shown on the cross is for you and me. Jesus’ death is for you. God’s love is for you.
Jesus goes a step farther. It’s not just that he washes the feet of his friends; he also washes the feet of Judas, the very one who is betraying him. John makes clear that Jesus is aware of what Judas is doing, yet he washes his feet anyway.
A little later at the last supper, Jesus will even give the bread and wine to Judas. Even if you’re Judas, God’s love is for you. Peter’s going to deny Jesus. God’s love is for him too.
That’s the first challenge, recognizing our need for Jesus to wash us and accepting that he has. The second challenge comes in what Jesus says next. He doesn’t just wash the disciples feet; he tells them to follow his example.
A few days ago, I was typing a note about tonight’s worship service into my phone, and when I typed “Maundy” it auto-corrected to “Mainly.” Welcome to Mainly Thursday worship. My first reaction was to be annoyed at my phone for not knowing church words, but then I decided that “Mainly” is actually a pretty good word for tonight.
The word Maundy comes from the Latin word “mandatum” – which is the root of the English word “mandate.” Tonight’s worship service is about that final command Jesus gives to his disciples, his final mandate for them. It tells us the main thing we’re suppose do as Christians.
Open your bulletin and read with me those last two sentences from the end of the Gospel reading. Right after Jesus says, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.” Read with me, “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
The life of a disciple is mainly about loving one another. We love because Jesus loved us. In these last few hours with his disciples before his death, this is the message Jesus wants them to hear and to remember. Love one another. Live out that love by serving one another.
The disciples have been following Jesus as students, learning from him and listening to his teachings. Finally on this night, Jesus says, “Here I am, folks. Do you want to know me? This is what it looks like.” Following Jesus means becoming a humble servant.
Although I love the ritual of foot washing, or of hand washing like we did on Sunday, Jesus’ command isn’t literally to wash people’s feet. That’s a particular thing in that culture. It’s a particular way of showing love. But we are to follow his example of humble service. So what does showing love look like in our time and culture? What does serving God look like for you? Keep thinking about that tonight.
Showing love is not always pleasant, or clean. It’s not always easy. Sometimes it’s even dangerous. The kind of radical love Jesus shows gets him killed. Love is risky.
As we continue on our Holy Week journey with Jesus, may you recognize that all of this is for you. God’s love is for you. Jesus’ body and blood are given and shed for you. And may God’s love shown in Jesus move you to share that love with everyone you meet.
Amen
You can find my Good Friday 2018 sermon here.